3 Tips to work from home more efficiently during the COVID-19 situation

‘’Thanks to coronavirus outbreak, working from home is no longer a privilege, it’s a necessity’’ – Bloomberg, 2020

With the recent outbreak of COVID-19 virus, many businesses have implemented ‘Work from Home’ initiative for their employees to minimize close contact in the workplace. However, working at home can be difficult for most employees as it can be overwhelming for them knowing that they are just steps away from their TV and comfortable beds. Thus, this will affect the productivity of employees which in turn results in a slow-moving business. For those employees that are working from home, here are the 3 tips that can help you to be productive at home during the COVID-19 situation.

Have a dedicated office space

Having a dedicated office space at home ensures that you get your work done more efficiently. Find a space at home, it could either be the living room, a study room or the dining table where there are minimal noise distractions. Ensure that the workspace you have chosen has good lighting to prevent any headaches or eye strain. In addition, you can also consider placing a small plant in your chosen workspace. Research has shown that having plants at your desk can improve your productivity and makes you feel happier.

Create and share a ‘To-Do-List’ with your team members

Imagine having to rush for project submissions when you are working at home and knowing that you are missing details. This is one of the struggles that you might face when you are working from home. As a result, it is important to have a ‘To-Do-List’ so that you can track the things that need to be done at the end of the day. Furthermore, if the project involves different people from different departments, having to create and share each other’s to-do-list on a trackable online application such as Google Sheets will ensure that there are no tasks neglected.

In the event where important issues and key priorities must be discussed in detail, it would be essential for you and your teammates to have an online platform to communicate. For example, Video Conferencing software like Zoom enables you to communicate and have meetings anywhere, even at the comfort of your home.

Through Zoom, you can set up Video Conferencing meetings to discuss with your team members on the key things that need to be done for the project.

Do light exercises and take breaks in between tasks

Working at home can make you feel confined and lonely as you no longer have the freedom to interact with your colleagues over breaks. It is no doubt that the time spent interacting with colleagues is a form of activity that helps you to destress from your work. Even though working at home can be sometimes stressful, you can slot in light exercises such as yoga between tasks to keep your mind fresh. Other than that, you can take a short nap or even take a short walk for fresh air to recover from the stress you have while working. By performing these light activities, the level of productivity tends to increase when you are working from home.

With all that said, having to prepare yourself when working at home is important as unexpected situations might arise, such as the COVID-19 virus outbreak. From having a conducive workspace at home to having meetings held virtually, it is important to be prepared for these situations. As such, businesses need to ensure that they have the right tools for their employees during these ‘Work from Home’ initiatives. In ESCO, we provide Zoom licenses for business who are looking into finding the perfect platform for their employees to hold virtual meeting, call and even communicate. With Zoom, you can always stay connected with one another, anytime and anywhere.

Contact us at [email protected] for Zoom licenses.